Kates Ordeal | Page 5

felt puzzled about Kate, and her strange anxiety lest she should talk about this situation she had obtained.
On Sunday, when the girls met as usual on their way to school, the prospects of their two companions were again discussed, and although a few, like Esther, wished they could go to London as Kate was going, it was agreed that Mary was very fortunate in getting such a good situation, although, as it was remarked, Miss Eldon always did get her girls excellent places.
Kate felt rather vexed at having to hear all the excellencies of this despised situation enumerated, and was not sorry to reach school, but her teacher's first words vexed her still more, and put her into a fright too.
"I was coming to see your mother last Tuesday, Kate; I hope she has not been ill."
"Oh, no, ma'am; she's quite well, thank you," answered Kate.
"Then it was not illness prevented her from coming to see me on Monday?"
Kate coloured and hung her head, as she answered, "No, ma'am."
"Did you forget to deliver my message? I think I told you I wanted to see her about a situation for you."
"You said you wanted to see her, ma'am, but--but I forgot it," said Kate, under her breath.
"Well, never mind, it does not matter much, Kate, for I hear you have a situation in London now," said Miss Eldon, thinking Kate was vexed and angry with herself for having forgotten her message. But the fact was, Kate, who was neither an untruthful nor deceitful girl, shrank from telling a direct lie. She had yielded to the temptation last Sunday because, as she had persuaded herself then, she was not required to tell an untruth, but merely to hold her tongue about the message; but now she found that to hide that wrong-doing a direct lie must be told, and, although it made her uncomfortable and unhappy, it was done. But she protested again and again to her own conscience that she would never do it again. Before she left school, however, she had another fright.
"When do you go to London, Kate?" asked her teacher, as the girls were leaving.
"To-morrow week, ma'am," said Kate.
"Well, I will try and see you one day in the week, for I want to hear all about your new situation and what your mother thinks of it," said Miss Eldon, quite unconscious of the panic her words had put Kate into.
It made her last days at home the most miserable she had ever spent, for Miss Eldon did not come until Saturday afternoon, but Kate had been in suspense every hour during the whole week, and yet the foolish girl could not summon up the courage necessary to tell her mother the truth about the matter.
The dreadful moment arrived at last, when there came a knock at the door, and Miss Eldon entering, was soon seated in their little back room, and Kate's mother with her.
"I was so much surprised to hear that Kate was going to London," began the lady, removing her gloves for an easy chat.
"Yes, ma'am, it was a surprise to me, and something of a shock too, I may say, for I had rather she had got a nice comfortable place nearer home."
"Yes, it is a pity I did not hear of this vacancy at Lady Hazeldean's a day or two sooner, for I can quite understand how anxious you must feel at a young girl like Kate leaving home."
"Yes, ma'am, and if it had been anybody but my own brother that offered it, she should not have gone, but he has been a good friend to me, and I cannot afford to offend him. If I could only have written and told him I had a place in view for her, it would have been different. I suppose, ma'am, if you had heard of this nursery-maid's place a week earlier, you would have recommended Kate for it, as she spoke to you, I think, before Mary Green."
"Yes, she did, and I recommended her to Lady Hazeldean, when I called there and heard of it, for I thought it would be just the place for Kate; and I must say I felt a little vexed as well as disappointed that you did not come to see me last Monday week about it."
The widow stared at her visitor. "I never knew that I was expected," she said.
"Has not Kate told you since, that she forgot to deliver my message when she came home on Sunday? I told her to ask you to call and see me on Monday morning, for I could not conveniently leave home on that day, and I had promised Lady Hazeldean she should see you and Kate as soon as possible."
"And Kate knew that and never told me!" gasped the widow.
"No,